Psalms 51

The psalm follows a trajectory from deep internal agony over guilt to a petition for God’s creative work in the spirit, concluding with a vision for national restoration.

• The implication that God will 'teach transgressors thy ways' through the witness of one who has been restored (v. 13).

• None. The psalm is a prayer of petition rather than a series of imperatives directed toward the reader.

• The implicit warning that the Holy Spirit may be withdrawn or restrained due to unrepentant sin (v. 11).

• The psalm is tied to the narrative of 2 Samuel 11-12, where David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged the murder of Uriah. Nathan the prophet (H5416) acts as the instrument of divine reproof.
• The context is the post-monarchic realization of judgment.

• The reference to 'hyssop' (v. 7) relates to the Levitical purification rituals (e.g., Numbers 19:18), where hyssop was used to sprinkle blood or water for ceremonial cleansing.
• Sacrificial language (vv. 16-17) reflects the Temple service, where animal offerings were required, but the psalm correctly identifies that these were never the ultimate end.

• This is a Penitential Psalm, characterized by confession of sin, appeal to God's character, and a cry for restoration.
• The psalm is structured to move from 'my' (individual guilt) to 'thy' (God's glory) to 'Zion' (community benefit).

• The psalm connects forward to the New Testament's emphasis on the 'broken and contrite heart' as the sacrifice acceptable to God (Rom 12:1).
• The prayer for a 'clean heart' anticipates the New Covenant promise in Ezekiel 36:26, where God promises to replace the heart of stone with a heart of flesh.

• The language of 'blotting out' transgressions (māḥâ, H4229) recalls God's covenantal activity of erasing names or debts, seen elsewhere in Exodus 32:32.
• The reference to being 'brought forth' in iniquity (v. 5) touches upon the doctrine of inherited sin (original sin), which Paul discusses in Romans 5.

• The word for 'mercy' in verse 1 is חָנַן (ḥānan, H2603), indicating a desire for God to bend in kindness. In verse 1, 'lovingkindness' (KJV) or 'steadfast love' refers to חֵסֵד (ḥesed, H2617), God’s covenant-keeping faithfulness.
• The term 'sin' (ḥaṭṭā'â, H2403) literally implies 'to miss the mark,' reinforcing the idea that sin is a failure to reach God's standard.
• The use of 'create' (bārā') in v. 10 is the same verb used in Genesis 1:1, highlighting that David requires an act of divine power equivalent to creation to renew his heart.

• David says, 'Against thee, thee only, have I sinned' (v. 4). While David clearly sinned against Uriah, Bathsheba, and his household, he recognizes that all sin, at its root, is a violation of God's law and authority.
• There is a tension in verse 18-19 regarding whether these verses were original to David or added during the Babylonian exile; some scholars argue the focus on 'walls of Jerusalem' reflects a period of national destruction.

• Scholars debate whether the final two verses (18-19) represent an original Davidic conclusion or a liturgical addition made during the Babylonian exile, as they shift the focus from individual repentance to the building of Jerusalem's walls.
• Matthew Henry notes a relevant theological tension regarding the nature of the atonement and the efficacy of the law: while the law provided for animal sacrifice, David realizes these are insufficient to handle the root of sin, reflecting a Reformed view that the Old Testament sacrifices were always 'types' pointing toward the final atonement of Christ.